


Say It Straight

by TheInverseUniverse



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batfamily (DCU), Bisexual Tim Drake, Coming Out, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne is Fifteen Years Old, Damian Wayne-centric, Gay Damian Wayne, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Older Damian Wayne, Set Five Years After Damian comes to Gotham, The League of Assassins Is Not Nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:21:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22090039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheInverseUniverse/pseuds/TheInverseUniverse
Summary: In the five years since he came to live with his new family, Damian had learned that much of what his mother taught him was wrong. But there was one thing that he struggled to let go of. He'd been taught that homosexuality was a crime punishable by death.While he knew that being gay wasn't something to kill people over, he still struggled to accept that it wasn't wrong. That he wasn't wrong.Because Damian is gay.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 75
Kudos: 739





	1. CHAPTER ONE

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank the lovely @valkerymillenia on tumblr, also known as raven_hallowryn here on Ao3, who helped me out so much with story. It's all based off their idea! Thanks also to @meliohy on tumblr, and everyone in the Batfam Hoes group chat.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian struggles, and comes out to Jason.

In the years Damian had lived with his father and new family, he’d learned many things. He’d learned not to kill. He’d learned that there is a path to justice without bloodshed. He’d learned that so much of what his mother taught him was wrong.

His mother taught him many things, most of which fell apart upon closer inspection. ‘Mercy is weakness,’ didn’t hold up to scrutiny. The vast majority of legal and religious systems penalized ruthlessness, the opposite of mercy. Logically, he could tear that down. “It is better to die than live in the shame of defeat.” A dead man feels no shame but also feels no joy and has no ability to defeat their opponent in a rematch. Again, it didn't make sense.

And yet there was one thing his mother taught him that he struggled to let go of. It wasn’t their creed; he wasn’t expected to repeat it back to his tutors, but it remained. “ _Munharafin_ deserve death.”

Damian has seen it from his window once. Two members of the League were found in bed together and therefore branded as _almunharafin_. They were then whipped and executed in the courtyard. The lesson stuck. The deviants, (Arabic had no other word for it) were perverse and a cancer to the League.

English had better words for it. Gay. Homosexual. Damian.

This too he should easily push away as wrong. Those men harmed no one, they did not deserve death. If he can knock down the idea of death for minor slights, he should be able to move past thinking those men had done anything wrong. And yet every time he looked at a boy the way he should a girl, he was filled with terror and shame.

America was different, he knew that. He knew it was legal or at least not prosecuted in every state, and that _munharafin_ —no, he had better words, he would not use the ones his mother gave him—could marry and live together legally.

But he also knew of the many teenagers in Gotham homeless solely because their families refused to care for them. Solely because they were queer.

He did not know how his father would respond, or how his family would respond. How Grayson would respond.

Damian could be rash, but he also knew when to be cautious. As much as his gut churned with his yearning for someone, he would not risk acting on that desire or any other until he knew the consequences. Only once he knew what he would face from his family, would he even consider approaching another boy.

———

Eventually he settled on Todd. In the five years Damian lived in Gotham, he and Jason had found an understanding. They both wrestled with their father’s expectations, and they both had spent time in the League.

Jason knew the creed and knew the mantras Damian had memorized. And on some slow nights, the two of them had opened a private channel on the comms and broken down the fallacies of the League. In a way, he had Todd to thank for finding his way out of the League’s group think.

On this night, Damian found his way to Todd’s apartment. The man had many safe houses throughout the city, but this was his home base. He went in through a window and crossed his arms disinterestedly when Todd pointed a gun at him.

“The hell, Demon Brat?” Todd demanded. He was in pajama pants, and had rolled out of bed and onto the worn carpet, gun in hand. No doubt he had expected an intruder sent to kill him, as there was nothing in this sparse room worth a burglar’s time.

Years ago, Damian would have torn him to shreds for calling him that, but now ‘Demon Brat’ was less of an insult and more of a familiar nickname. A joke between brothers.

Damian watched Todd silently until he put his gun on the bed, and then said, “You know the League. You helped me see the flaws in their dogma.”

“Yeah,” Jason said, nodding slowly. “You looking to open a comm channel again?”

“I felt this conversation would be better held in person,” Damian explained. He was not afraid of Jason, but the idea of telling someone, of sharing this secret had his heart racing and hands shaking ever so slightly.

Jason blew out a long breath and rocked back on his heels, contemplating, before nodding and saying, “Well heat costs money, so close the window and come on. I’ll make you some tea, you damned coffee hating foreigner.” He turned and left his bedroom, expecting Damian to follow.

A few minutes later, Jason was setting a mug of some supermarket tea down in front of Damian and holding a cup of coffee for himself. He sat down across the small table from him and didn’t say anything, just drank his coffee.

The tea wasn’t high quality, but it was well enough made. Plus, focusing on the warm mug and the mechanical action of drinking helped calm Damian’s nerves. His hands stopped shaking, and he felt more prepared for this.

Once he had drank half of the cup, Jason asked, “So what’s this about, little D?”

“You helped me see the error of my mother’s ways,” Damian said, repeating his earlier statement. Todd nodded, and he continued. “However, you do not disagree with her on everything. You and the League agree that killing criminals is more expedient than imprisoning them.”

Jason opened his mouth to speak, but Damian cut him off. “I’m not here to reopen that discussion. I’m... curious about whether you agree with the League on another topic.”

Jason set down his mug and the sound of it hitting the plastic veneer of the table cut the silence. “What topic?”

Again, Damian took a drink to calm his nerves and gather strength. He was too strong to be cowed by a simple conversation.

“Damian?” Jason prompted.

“ _Munharafin_ ,” Damian set curtly.

Jason frowned and leaned back in his chair. “My Arabic’s a little rusty. That’s like perverts, right?”

“Literally translated,” Damian conceded. He stared at the tea bag instead of his brother. “But in this case, it means homosexuals.”

That surprised Jason. He blinked and put his chair back on four legs. “You want to know if I agree with the League about gay people? It never came up in my time there, so you’ll have to tell me what the League thinks.”

“That they should be swiftly put to death,” Damian explained. He bobbed the tea bag up and down in his cup.

Jason grimaced and said, “Yeah, that’s about what I expected. Uh, no. I don’t agree with that. Gay people can go do whatever they want. Date, fuck, get married. Doesn’t hurt anyone.”

Damian nodded. That was good. At least Jason wouldn’t be looking to hurt him. 

Jason’s voice softened as he asked, “So why the sudden interest in my homophobia or lack thereof?”

Instead of answering, Damian stared at the wall over Jason’s shoulder and finished the rest of his tea.

“Damian?” Jason prompted again.

Deciding to bite the bullet, Damian said, “I’m a _munha _-” He stopped and corrected himself. “I’m gay.”__

__“Oh.”_ _

__He prepared himself for Jason’s reaction and stood, ready to flee._ _

__“Woah, woah,” Jason said, raising his hands. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t got to run away. Sit back down.”_ _

__Slowly, Damian sat back down. He looked at Jason, who looked out of his depth, but not upset or disgusted. Perhaps this wasn’t a terrible idea._ _

__“You aren’t upset?” Damian asked, again fiddling with the mug in front of him._ _

__“No,” Jason said, like it was a dumb question. “Like I said. Doesn’t hurt anyone, so I don’t particularly care. I left a severed head in someone’s bed yesterday, it’s not like I have any room to judge.”_ _

__Damian nodded and took a deep breath. “Good.”_ _

__“Am I supposed to give you a hug or something?” Jason asked. “I’m not good at this.”_ _

__“Hug me and I’ll cut off your hand,” Damian shot back. He smiled slightly, this was normal._ _

__Jason laughed and came around the table. He ruffled Damian’s hair, who growled at him. He leaned against the table top and said, “So, uh, use a condom. Just because you can’t get them pregnant, still got to put a rubber on it.”_ _

__“You are far from the person to give me sex advice,” Damian said flatly._ _

__“First,” Jason said, holding up a finger. “Rude. Second, have you told anyone else?”_ _

__Damian shook his head and said, “You are the first.”_ _

__That made Jason’s eyes widen. “Uh, wow. Okay. I won’t tell anyone, don’t worry.”_ _

__“I have more credibility than you. People would believe me over you if you did,” Damian explained coldly._ _

__Jason snorted. “Ah, there’s the Demon Brat I know.”_ _

__“It is late,” Damian said as he stood. “Thank you for your time. I will allow you to sleep.”_ _

__Jason nodded and said, “Night, Lil D.”_ _

__“Good night, Todd,” he said, going to the other window and climbing out into the night._ _


	2. CHAPTER TWO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason talks to Tim about his weird night. Tim is a detective who does detective things.

Jason watched Damian climb out the window. That was a surprise.

While he’d never seen Damian get distracted by girls, he’d never thought he was gay. Just figured the kid was a robot. Jason figured he probably should have handled that conversation differently.

He pulled out his phone and dialed an annoyingly familiar number. Once the person on the other end picked up, he said, “Hey, Replacement.”

“Jason?” Tim asked, not at all groggy. Idiot never slept. 

“That’s me,” Jason said. “Hey, what am I supposed to say when someone comes out?”

After a long moment, Tim asked, “What?”

“Someone came out to me and I don’t think I handled it right,” Jason explained.

“Who came out to you?” Tim asked, still sounded confused.

Jason rolled his eyes. So much for world’s second greatest detective. “If I told you, that would out them. Besides, you don’t know him. It was a kid from the Alley.”

“Okay...” Tim said. “Why are you calling me? We don’t talk outside of work and family stuff.”

“Cause you’re the only queer I know,” Jason said pleasantly.

He could hear the grimace in Tim’s voice when he asked, “You didn’t call this kid a queer, did you?”

“Of course not! I save my insults for you, Replacement,” Jason explained. He tucked the phone between his head and shoulder as he cleared the cups from his table.

“Well, if you insist on getting pointers,” Tim said in exasperation. “Tell me what happened.”

Jason set the cups in the sink and walked back to his bedroom as he explained. “Kid showed up, was real nervous. I made him tea, and he asked me my opinion on gay people. More like he asked if I was a violent homophobe.”

“What’d you tell him?”

“I told him I was pretty neutral. I mean, do what you want, date, fuck, get married. It doesn’t hurt anyone,” Jason explained. “Then he told me he was gay and started to run away, but I calmed him down, told him it was cool.”

Tim said, “Well that’s good.”

“Then I told him to use a condom even though he can’t get anyone pregnant, and he told me I was the last person to give out sex advice.”

Tim laughed and said, “Both true statements. Sounds like you did fine, dude.”

“Okay, good,” Jason said, sitting down on his bed.

“Is that really why you called me?” Tim asked.

Jason pulled up his covers and said, “Yep! Night, loser.” He hung up and put the phone on his nightstand, shaking his head at the weird turn his night took.

———

Tim looked at the phone crossly when Jason hung up. He set it back by his keyboard and turned back to his computer screen. 

On it, he had Nygma’s home desktop. It was pitifully easy to break into, but he wasn’t getting very far because the man knew not to make plans on it. There must be a work laptop that Tim will have to find.

But Jason’s call was a worthy distraction. Some kid from Crime Alley sought Jason Todd out to come out to at 2 am? Or even more bizarre, Red Hood? This was a much more interesting mystery than Nygma’s incognito history. Tim didn’t appreciate rule 34 being proven yet again. _Riddles_.

So who had come out to Jason? He tapped his pen against his chin and laid out the clues on his mental whiteboard.

It was someone Jason knows.  
Close enough to come out to him.  
A kid.  
Felt comfortable enough to insult Jason.  
Drinks tea.  
Someone from Crime Alley? He didn’t trust that one.

Tim leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, visualizing several Venn diagrams. One was People Jason Know. Then there was Children—scratch that and put a circle inside of People Jason Know—Children Jason Know. That was a confusing one, because to Tim’s knowledge, Jason didn’t know many children. He had a theoretical greyed out part of that circle, but it mostly consisted of children of League members and various Titans. Willing to Insult Jason. That shrunk the circle immensely. 

And the prime time cop drama worthy red flag clue: Drinks Tea. No one in the Alley that wasn’t an Asian immigrant drank tea, and they mostly lived in different ethnic neighborhoods. That Jason even owned tea was surprising to Tim. In fact, the only reason Tim could fathom for him buying it was for when Damian visited.

Tim dropped his pen.

A bright gold dot glowed from within the nesting circles in his Venn Diagram. 

Damian.


	3. CHAPTER THREE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Damian talk, and Alfred is The Best™

Damian readied himself to climb the salmon ladder in the cave. His head was swimming with ideas, possibilities, and consequences. He gripped the smooth wood of the bar and hopped to the first rung, locking the bar on the hooks. He did five pull ups while considering what had happened the night before.

Jason had been fine with it. He’d been surprised, but seemed otherwise unconcerned. That was Damian’s desired outcome.

He pulled himself up sharply, jumping the bar up to the next set of hooks.

Now the question was how he would go from there. Jason was fine with it, but he also had the loosest morals of the family. He was fine with homosexuality, but he was also fine with murder.

With a sharp exhale and a clang, he moved up again, pausing to do more pull ups and think.

How would Father react? The man had very straight morals, hard and fast. There was no grey area, no equivocating, and he brooked no argument. He’d never seen the man be homophobic, and he’d never heard him moralize on the topic, but the doubt remained. Damian had barely accepted it himself that it wasn’t wrong.

Another rung. More pull ups. His shoulders were starting to burn, but it felt like cleansing fire.

And then the question of Grayson. If Dick didn’t accept him, he didn’t know what he would do.

He jumped up a rung and almost missed, bouncing off the back of the salmon rack before landing in the hooks. Angry with himself, he pulled himself up and held his forehead to the bar, letting his arms shake with the effort.

While it was highly improbable Dick would reject him, as he made his support of gay rights well known, there was still the chance it would be different when his brother was the faggot. What if Dick saw him as weaker or didn’t want to work with him anymore? Damian needed Robin, the same way their father needed Batman.

His arms gave out, and he dangled for a moment, panting. After a moment, he summoned his strength and jumped up another rung of the salmon ladder.

“Hey,” a voice said from below.

Damian jumped down and swung around, brandishing the bar as a weapon.

Tim looked at him, unimpressed. “You good?”

“What do you want, Drake?” Damian glared and set the bar back on the rack before turning back to the older man.

In the five years since Damian’s arrival, Tim had started and stopped the ridiculous charade of running Wayne Enterprises and went to college like a reasonable human. He was now twenty and midway through some ridiculously technical computer degree at Gotham State.

Tim nodded to himself and said, “We need to talk.”

“Why would I want to talk to you?” Damian asked, if only for tradition’s sake. Drake might think he liked him if he stopped being openly hostile.

“Just-” Tim shook his head exasperatedly. “Come on. It’s important.” He walked into their pseudo locker room in the cave and after a spiteful moment, Damian followed.

“What is this about?” Damian demanded as he entered the changing room. This would no doubt be inane.

Tim sat on a bench and nodded at the one across from him. “Sit.”

Damian glared but sat.

Once he complied, Tim nodded and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I’m going to tell you something. I expect it to stay in this room, and in return anything you tell me stays in this room, agreed?"

“Fine,” Damian said, rolling his eyes. He’d leaned back when Tim leaned forward, but he now relaxed into a more natural stance.

“I’m bisexual,” Tim said, not beating around the bush. “I dated Kon for about a year and have seen a couple of other guys since.”

Damian reeled. That was not what he was expecting. Drake was gay? That... surprised him greatly. He’d known him and Kon had been close, but figured it was akin to the bond Grayson and West shared.

“Do the others know?” He asked with bated breath. This was exactly the data he needed.

Tim tilted a hand back and forth. “Some know, some don’t.”

“Who?” Damian demanded. He clenched his fists, resisting the urge to stand and force the information from Drake faster.

The look Tim gave him seemed to confirm something, and he said, “Dick, Jason, and likely Alfred.”

“How did they react?” Damian asked, staring at Tim intently. Drake hadn’t been exiled, that was a good sign. But they had forced him out of the Robin mantle to make way for Damian. Had his sexuality played a role in that?

Tim chuckled and said, “Jason didn’t care, Dick was obnoxiously supportive, and if Alfred knows he never mentioned it.”

“But Father doesn’t know?” Damian clarified. That was crucial data to miss.

“No,” Tim said, shaking his head. “I hid it from him at first because I was dating a super, and you know how he feels about metas. And then it just never came up, and it didn’t seem worth the stress.”

Damian nodded. He would be safe with Dick, which made him so relieved he thought he could cry. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath.

“Damian?” Tim asked gently, and he chafed at the softness in his voice. “You okay?”

He opened his eyes and nodded. “I am fine.”

“You know,” Tim said. “If there’s something you want to say, I’m probably the best person to tell right now.”

Damian jumped up. He grabbed Tim by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

“What did Todd tell you?” He demanded, angry and betrayed as he leaned in and snarled in Drake’s face.

“Nothing,” Tim said calmly. “I figured it out, and your reaction to our conversation confirmed it. I’m a detective, remember?”

Damian glared at him for another second, jaw tight, before shoving away from him. He walked to the other side of the room before turning on his heel and pointing at Tim. “Don’t tell a soul.”

“I would never,” Tim said softly. He stepped towards Damian and said, “Dami, I get it. I’ve been right where you are”

“You don’t get to call me that!” Damian snarled. “And no, you haven’t been ‘right where I am!’” He clenched his fists and said, “You haven’t been told by your mother that people like you deserve to die! You haven’t seen two men tortured and put to death for the crime of being together!”

Tim paused, taken aback. “You’re right. I haven’t. I can’t know what that’s like. But I know how scared you are right now. I know that you’re wondering just how unconditional Bruce’s love really is. If you’ll still have a place in this family and as Robin.”

“Stop,” Damian said tightly. His throat was closing up, and he _wouldn’t_ do this in front of Drake. He shook his head and bolted, knocking the bench over and leaving a regretful Tim in his wake.

———

Damian ran to his room. He slammed the door behind him and leaned up against it. Through sheer force of will he attempted to keep the burning tears from falling from his eyes, but even tilting his head back against the wood didn’t help.

He pressed a hand against his mouth to muffle his sobs as the tears fell, and he cursed his own weakness. This shouldn’t be enough to make him do something as infantile as cry. After the age of about three, Damian could no longer cry about anything less than an injury requiring major medical attention. Eventually even that wasn’t allowed. So that now something as simple as a conversation with Drake was making him cry was ridiculous.

With a concerted effort, he pushed back against the thought that his perversion had infected him in other ways. He knew that was tacitly untrue, but it still niggled at the back of his mind.

A knock against his door startled him, and Damian swung around to face it. “What do you want?” he demanded.

“Master Damian,” Alfred’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Are you all right?”

“I am fine, Alfred,” Damian forced out, keeping the tears out of his voice.

Alfred hummed and said, “In that case, may I come in? I believe I forgot my feather duster in here while I was changing your sheets earlier.”

Of all the times, Damian thought. But he wiped his eyes and pulled open the door. “Very well.”

“Thank you,” Alfred said, stepping inside. Damian closed the door after him and he did a quick and unthorough visual sweep of the room. “Oh, it must not be in here.”

Damian pursed his lips in irritation, still standing by the door.

Again Alfred spoke. “Damian, it is alright to tell me if something has upset you. I’m quite experienced in this family’s problems.”

“Nothing has upset me,” Damian insisted sharply. “Perhaps your ears are going out in your old age.”

Alfred raised a stern eyebrow at him, and Damian wilted.

“I apologize.”

Alfred nodded and sat down on Damian’s bed. “Well then humor this old man and come sit with me.”

Rolling his eyes dramatically, Damian walked over stiffly. He sat down with about a foot between the two of them and stared straight ahead.

“This ruse always worked when your father was a boy,” Alfred reminisced. “Even the monolithic Bruce Wayne would cry in his bedroom.”

Damian whirled to face Alfred. “I wasn’t cr-”

“I never said you were,” Alfred said coolly. He placed a gentle hand between Damian’s shoulders, who allowed it to stay. “Now, how about you tell me what’s the matter?”

This was a trap. Damian marveled, not for the first time, at Alfred’s intelligence and interpersonal skills. Gotham’s villains didn’t know how lucky they were that the butler had no interest in crime-fighting. He looked down at his sweat pants and fiddled with the small hole forming on his knee. All the thoughts that had made him cry in the first place were coming back as he tried to verbalize them.

After a few moments, Alfred prodded, “Damian?”

Damian’s voice was tight was with held back tears as he said, “Sometimes I think I’m broken, Alfred.”

“My boy,” Alfred began softly, but Damian cut him off.

“I don’t know if my mother is the one who broke me, or if I was born wrong and she was right to try to fix me,” he said, staring at the wall over Alfred’s shoulder. “But I’m not right.”

“I don’t know what made you feel this way,” Alfred began, putting his arm around Damian’s shoulder and pulling him closer. “But I know you, my boy. And despite every challenge you have, everything you had to unlearn, you strive every day to become better. Everyone in this family has problems, and everyone in this family does the wrong thing sometimes, but no one else, not even your father, works as hard as you to do the right thing. There isn’t a tiny piece of my heart or mind that thinks you’re broken.”

Curse this man, there was no way he wasn’t a metahuman. No mere man could be so good at this. Finally, Damian broke and hugged Alfred.

He allowed himself to cry into his shoulder and said, “Thank you, Grandfather.”

Alfred hugged him back tightly and said, “Of course, my wonderful grandson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene with Alfred has a special place in my heart because I was editing this story while doing my late grandfather's end-of-life care. So this story is dedicated to Douglas McCarty, who was a truly good man. Miss you forever.


	4. CHAPTER FOUR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian's favorite person comes home.

Once Damian had composed himself, Alfred all but frogmarched him to the kitchen to feed him. He accepted the food graciously, and once Alfred was satisfied that he would in fact eat it, he left him to do some work around the house.

Damian was halfway through his black bean burger when the door to the kitchen burst open. Dick ran into the room, jumping over one of the counters in his haste to get to the fridge.

A few amusing moments later, Dick closed the fridge with his hands full of sandwich fixings and noticed Damian.

“Hey, Dami!” He chirped from behind the packet of baloney between his teeth.

Damian couldn’t help but smile at his brother’s antics as he said, “I’d ask if you were raised in a barn, but I know the truth is much worse.”

Dick laughed as he pulled the baloney from his mouth and set down his ingredients on the counter across from Damian. “What’s up, little man?”

“Alfred has forced me to eat as usual,” Damian said, failing at feigning disdain. It was impossible for him to be his dour self around Dick.

“The horror,” Dick agreed. He started assembling a true monstrosity of a sandwich, piling on every meat and cheese the manor had.

Dick wasn’t around the manor often these days, as he lived and worked in Bludhaven. At twenty-five, he was a detective in the Bludhaven police department and worked as Nightwing on his nights off.

“What brings you back home?” Damian asked.

Dick explained, “I’m supposed to give some talk in one of Tim’s criminal justice classes. Apparently no one in GCPD would do it.” He finished his sandwich, which contained no less than four pieces of bread, and hopped over the counter again to sit next to Damian.

“It’s not like they know anything about it to begin with,” Damian snubbed.

“Come on, Lil’ D,” Dick said, nudging Damian with his elbow. “You know they do their best.”

“Uh huh,” Damian agreed, unconvinced. He continued eating his burger.

Dick smiled and shook his head, “One day I’ll get you to understand.” He took a bite of his sandwich, and Damian marveled that anyone could fit it in their mouth.

“How long will you be staying here?” Damian asked.

“I got the rest of the weekend off, so I’m here ‘till Monday,” Dick explained around a mouthful of food. Damian knew Alfred had taught his brother impeccable manners, so the immaturity was just for his supposed benefit.

It was Thursday, so if Damian wanted to come out to Dick that gave him three full days to do so. “Wonderful,” he said, and Dick beamed at him.

———

Damian arrived home at four o'clock the next day and collapsed face first onto the couch.

He heard a laugh and looked up to see Dick sitting across the room. He was lounging sideways in a chair with his feet on one armrest and his computer on his lap. “You good?” Dick asked, amused.

Damian pressed his face back into the leather of the couch and said into it, “I am surrounded by incompetent children for seven and a half hours a day.”

“I thought they had you in those advanced classes,” Dick said, closing his laptop.

Relenting, Damian pulled his face off the couch and sat up like a person. “I am. But the so-called intelligence of my classmates doesn’t make them any less irritating.”

“What was the irritation today?” Dick asked, chuckling. 

Damian pursed his lips and said, “The penis game.”

At this, Dick burst out laughing. He set his laptop aside so he wouldn’t drop it and doubled over laughing. “Ah, to be a sophomore again.”

“I do not understand children,” Damian griped. Truly, his peers were beyond his comprehension. “They were all competing to see who could shout ‘penis’ the loudest. This was obviously the goal. And then once one boy won, they declared him to be gay and the joke for the rest of the period was his love of penises.”

Dick grimaced. “On second thought, I don’t want to be a sophomore again.”

“It makes no sense,” Damian said in exasperation. “You westerners purportedly accept homosexuals, yet gay was the worst thing these boys could call each other.”

“You know you’re a westerner too now, right?” Dick teased.

Damian turned his nose up at the thought.

Dick continued, waving off that argument. “Regardless. Do you think those boys are the best and brightest, or even a representative sample, of society?”

“I should hope not,” Damian said. He was fairly certain fifteen-year-old boys were the worst part of any society.

“Well, there you have it,” Dick said. “Yeah, society is generally accepting of gay people, but that doesn’t mean dumbass teenage boys will be mature about it.”

Damian nodded, accepting this explanation and fitting it into his developing worldview. He should not let these morons affect his view of homosexuality and its place in society.

As if realizing something, Dick peered at him and sat up straight. “Has anyone explained to you that being gay is fine? You did grow up in the Middle East.”

“No, no one has had to explain that to me,” Damian said, rolling his eyes. He could sense the cultural consensus. “I surmised that my mother’s teachings were wrong and that homosexuals should not be put to death.”

“Jeeze,” Dick said, wincing. “Yeah, that’s on-brand for her.”

Damian took a moment before asking, “I don’t completely understand why it’s okay, though.”

Dick frowned, thinking of how to explain. “What do you mean?”

“The Abrahamic religions and, until very recently, most legal codes all agreed that being gay is wrong. So why is it morally acceptable? I don’t understand that,” Damian explained. He respected Dick, and he knew that he had a strong moral compass. If anyone can explain it, it’s Dick.

“Um,” Dick blew out a breath, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “You’re basing your belief that it’s wrong off of a few codes of ethics, right?”

Damian nodded. He wouldn’t say it was his belief, but the point stood.

“Abrahamic religions said that, but not every religion. Hinduism is the third largest religion and it has no problems with it, neither do most types of Buddhism,” Dick said. This made sense to Damian. “Are you Christian, Muslim, or Jewish?”

Damian shook his head. He was not.

“Then let’s not let other religions dictate your beliefs,” Dick explained. Again, this made sense.

“Legal systems,” Dick continued. “Well, our legal system doesn’t say it’s wrong anymore. Besides, is every law just to begin with?”

Damian shook his head. He took a moment and said, “Those are good points. I should not base my morals on the judgments of others.”

Dick looked at him as if searching for something. “Your morals are what matters. Do you think it’s wrong?”

“No,” Damian said, but he frowned. “But it is hard. I was taught one thing and now I think another.”

Standing up, Dick said, “I know, bud.” He sat back down next to Damian and put an arm around his shoulder. “But the fact that you’re making an effort is what matters. You know I’m proud of you? You’ve come so far in the last five years, and I’m so glad you’re my little brother.”

Damian smiled despite himself. Dick was such an incorrigible sap. “You’re a sap,” he told him. “I have simply deceived you all into providing me with the resources to one day conquer Gotham.”

“Wait,” Dick said, grinning ear to ear. “Was that a joke I heard? Did Damian Wayne just make a joke?"


	5. CHAPTER FIVE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian talks with Tim and scares the shit out of his boyfriend.

A few hours later, after the sun had set in Gotham, Damian stopped his motorcycle p next to Drake’s apartment building. He looked up at the worn building with disdain. Of course Drake would slum it next to all the other college students.

Opting not to deal with the no doubt wasted college students, Damian pulled up his green hoodie and scaled the side of the building, using small handholds in the old, uneven bricks. Once he came to Tim’s window, he slid his knife underneath and unlocked it before pulling it open and climbing inside.

“Oh my god!” An unfamiliar voice shouted, and Damian saw a shirtless young man on Drake’s couch staring at him as he climbed through the window frame. 

Alarmed by the shouting, Tim, whose own shirt hung open, rolled off the couch and grabbed a knife from underneath. He stood in between the intruder and his guest brandishing the knife until he realized who it was.

“Damian?” he demanded, lowering the knife.

His companion, a dopey looking young man with messy brown hair, asked, “You know this guy?”

“Mason,” Tim explained, gesturing to the man and then to Damian, “This is Damian, my little brother. Damian, Mason.”

“Why’d he come through the window?” Mason demanded. “We’re on the third floor!”

Tim rolled his eyes and said, “I do have a door, Dami. Come on.”

“Yes, but there are drunk hooligans in your hallways,” Damian said contemptuously. Why should he bother with those people when he could easily climb the building?

Tim shook his head in exasperation and tucked his knife in his pocket before beginning to button his shirt back up. “What are you doing here? You’ve literally never visited me before.”

Damian stepped away from the window and into the main room as he explained, “I wanted your advice. About...” he looked at Mason pointedly, hoping Tim would get the message. He didn’t want to say anything more with an outsider in the room.

Mason, who mercifully seemed brighter than Drake, took the hint and said, “Why don’t I come back later? You guys seem like you need to talk.”

“Sorry,” Tim said. He slipped an arm around Mason’s waist and gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll text you once he leaves?”

Mason nodded and pulled away, ducking down to grab his shirt off the floor. “Totally. Nice to meet you, Damian!” he called as he left, closing the door behind him.

“You have a boyfriend,” Damian said carefully, trying out the word.

“Yeah,” Tim said. “Don’t worry, he lives down the hall, so you’re not inconveniencing us.”

Damian bit back his usual scathing remark and instead nodded, saying, “I’m glad.”

“You want something to drink?” Tim asked, heading over to his small kitchenette.

“Yes,” Damian said. After a moment, he added. “Thank you.”

As he grabbed a bottle of iced tea out of the fridge, Tim said, “I’ve only got American sweet tea, none of that black that you like. Mason buys it.”

“Your boyfriend.” Again Damian tried out the word on his tongue. It was odd to think of one of his brothers as having one. “He is here often, then?”

Tim nodded and said, “Most days, yeah. He’s doing comp sci too, so we study together. He’s front end though, not security and crypto like me.”

Damian did not know what all that meant, but it wasn’t terribly important. He accepted the glass without complaint, although sweet tea was not tea.

Tim grabbed his own glass and led them into the living/dining room. He sat on the couch and after Damian joined him, asked, “So what’s up?”

“As I said, I need advice,” Damian explained. “How do I come out to Grayson and Father?” 

Tim raised his eyebrows. “Uh, okay.” He took a moment and said, “You came out to Jason, right?”

Damian said, “Yes.”

“Well, what’d you do?” Tim asked.

“I asked if he agreed with the League,” Damian explained. “And when he did not, I told him I am gay.”

“Okay,” Tim said. “It’s easy as that. You ask to talk to them and tell them. I mean, you can just slip it into a conversation, but they might think you’re joking.”

That would not be a favorable option at all. “No, I do not want to do this so flippantly,” Damian said.

“All right. So ask them to talk and just say it straight. It’s not like you’re the type for impassioned speeches anyways,” Tim suggested.

That sounded reasonable. Damian would not do anything fancy, that would be childish. Instead, he’d tell them straight and plain. He was fairly confident that Grayson would support him, but he had no idea how his father would react.

Surprising even himself, he asked, “Will you be there for it? For,” he paused. “Moral support.”

Tim sat back, visibility surprised himself. “Uh, yeah,” he agreed slowly. “I’d be happy to.”

Damian nodded and set his untouched glass on the coffee table. “Thank you,” he said as he stood. “I will contact you when I have a time.” 

“All right, man,” Tim said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. “Good talk.”

Damian nodded crisply and said, “You may resume your ‘studying.’”

At that, Tim laughed and said, “Thanks. See you soon.”

Damian waved at him in response as he climbed back out the window.

———

Since the next day was a Saturday, Damian had to wait until noon for the rest of the family to wake up. He had broken into his father’s calendar, and such had seen that Bruce had no plans for the rest of the day, and he already knew that Dick had no plans until he met up with West at three this afternoon.

The two of them were eating at the kitchen counter when Damian walked in.

“Hey, Dami,” Dick greeted with a broad smile and a wave.

“Morning,” Bruce grunted, still grumpy from sleep. 

Damian nodded and walked around the counter to face them. “Father, Grayson,” he began. “I would like you to meet me in the living room in half an hour. I have an announcement to make.”

“Alright,” Dick said, amused. “You want to just tell us now?”

Damian shook his head and said, “No. I will see you then.” He turned on his heel and left the kitchen, keeping his back straight and head held high.

He hurried back upstairs and in his haste almost ran into Alfred, who was wiping down the shelves of the upstairs library.

“Oh, Alfred,” Damian said as he stopped short. How had he forgotten about him? “Would you be so kind as to meet me in the living room at half past noon?”

Alfred set down his cloth and said, “Of course. What’s this about?”

“It is a surprise,” Damian explained. 

With a raised eyebrow, Alfred said, “Very well. I’ll figure it out then.”

Damian nodded and hurried into his room. He sat on his bed and texted Drake, Are you still coming at 12:30?

A few moments later Drake responded, Yep. Leaving in a few

If he kept staring at his phone, Damian would no doubt continue to annoy Drake with several texts, so he set it down and paced around his room.

He had nothing to fear. He told himself this many times. Grayson would be obnoxiously supportive. And if his father tried to kick him out or take Robin from him, Alfred would surely set him straight.

But Damian had no idea how his father would react; even Drake hadn’t come out to the man. Bruce was a pinnacle of masculinity. Would he take offense with his son being so... he knew he shouldn’t call himself weak, but it was hard not to.

Before too long, he heard the front door open and Dick say, “Hey, Tim! I didn’t know you were coming over!”

Damian raced out of his room, using the handrails on the stairs to take them five at a time and hurried into the entryway, eager to intercept Tim before Dick could cheerfully interrogate him and ruin the plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, when I drafted this I wrote the line "but he's front end, not back end like me." But that sounded like a weird way to say top and bottom, so I had to change it. (And Tim totally learned web development in his sleep when he was twelve).


	6. CHAPTER SIX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim has some realizations about Damian, and Dami finally tells the family!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize for the delay in posting. I got caught up with funerals and school and life, and got distracted from posting this. So here is the penultimate chapter. Enjoy, and don't get too mad at me for the cliff hanger.

Tim pushed open the manor's large wooden doors and walked inside. It had surprised him when Damian asked him to be here, and it still confused him. They no longer wanted to kill each other, but he wouldn’t consider them friends. More like reluctant coworkers.

The sound of the door opening must have brought Dick to investigate, because he walked into the hall a moment later. His face lit up when he saw Tim.

“Hey, Tim! I didn’t know you were coming over!” Dick enveloped him into a tight hug, lifting him off his feet as Tim did his best to reciprocate.

Suddenly Damian barreled down the stairs, jumping them four or five at a time. As Dick released him, Damian grabbed Tim by the arm and said, “Come with me.”

Tim rolled his eyes and allowed his brother to drag him into the parlor. He yanked his arm free as Damian shut the door. This kid was so dramatic.

“Dick probably thinks you’re murdering me,” he drolled as he flopped onto one of the ornate armchairs. 

Damian remained standing as he said, “A few years ago he would have been correct.” And if Tim wasn’t mistaken, he almost smiled. Was that a joke?

Tim chuckled and said, “Yeah, he would have been.” He looked up at Damian. The kid looked like an over-wound spring, ready to snap at any minute. “You good?”

“Yes,” Damian said sharply. Tim just raised an eyebrow and after a moment he relented, “No. I am panicking.”

Had Damian just admitted to weakness in front of him? Had he been replaced by a clone? Tim stood and, half expecting to lose a finger, reached up and put his hands on Damian’s shoulders. When had the kid gotten so much taller than him? 

“Hey, it’s cool. What’re you panicking about?” Tim asked.

Damian roughly shrugged off his hands and gave him a withering look, “Is it not obvious? About coming out, you simpleton.”

Tim crossed his arms, not taking any such shit, and asked, “You want to chill?”

Slumping his shoulders, Damian said, “That is fair. But I figured you of all people would understand the source of my anxiety.”

Then it hit Tim. He was probably the first out queer adult Damian had ever met. And almost certainly the only one he was somewhat close with. He remembered the first gay adult he’d met, Midnighter. Lucas had been near godlike to Tim for a while, and he’d been in awe of meeting a successful gay superhero. Eventually, Midnighter playing fast and loose with the no-killing rule had soured his and Tim’s professional relationship. But he still remembered how important that relationship had been to him.

It made sense that Damian would try to finally mend this bridge now. Tim would meet him halfway. How could he do anything else?

“No, I know you’re worried about coming out,” Tim explained patiently. “What about it makes you worried?”

“Father’s reaction,” Damian said curtly. He furrowed his brow and explained, “What if he’s not okay with it? What if he kicks me out or worse, takes Robin away from me?”

If Tim had been the diary type, this conversation would have been like reading his when he was a teenager. When he’d first started dating Kon, these were all the reasons he’d been hesitant to come out. Except for the whole meta thing, which was its own layer of problems. But Tim had had years to realize that he was wrong.

He asked, “Do you think Dick or Alfred would let him? Honestly, for even a moment, do you think those two people—people who think you hung the moon—would let Bruce punish you for being gay?”

Damian opened and closed his mouth. He nodded and then said. “Granted.” A moment later he asked, “But what if he hates me?”

“Damian,” Tim said kindly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Damian didn’t push it off. “That won’t happen. Bruce loves you even though you literally killed people the first day you met him. I promise you he will still love you after this.”

That seemed to do the trick. Damian nodded and said, “Thank you, Timothy.”

Wow. A thank you and a first name. 

“You’re welcome,” Tim said with a smile. “Now come on, they’re waiting on us.”

———

Damian paused just outside the entrance to the living room. Tim nodded at him encouragingly and he walked inside, coming to a stop in front of the other three occupants.

Alfred and Father were sitting on one couch, while Dick was again sprawled unnaturally across an armchair. He sat up as Damian entered and gave him a thumbs up.

“Father, Richard, Grandfather,” he greeted the three of them, and he saw how Alfred smiled when he called him grandfather. “I’m sure you are wondering why I have gathered you here.”

He noticed Tim join them and sit on the floor next to Dick’s chair.

“I was told it was a surprise, while Master Bruce informed me it was an announcement,” Alfred said in his usual sophisticated manner. “We are all waiting with bated breath, I’m sure.”

Dick nodded eagerly and said, “Can’t wait. Right, Bruce?” 

Bruce also nodded, more confused than eager, and said, “Yes. What’s your announcement, Damian?”

Damian took a deep breath and looked again to Tim, who gave him his own thumbs up. Summoning the courage, he said, “I am gay.”

There was a beat of surprised silence before he was suddenly overtaken in an embrace. Damian only barely kept his footing as Dick wrapped him in a giant hug. After a few moments he tapped out, and Dick released him to breathe again.

“Well, congratulations,” Dick said, smiling down at him, and Damian didn’t understand why it was cause for congratulation. “You know we love you, right?”

Damian nodded and smiled back. This was the reaction he expected from Dick, but it was still a relief.

Alfred too got up from his seat and wrapped Damian in a gentle hug. He softly said in Damian’s ear, “You are not broken.”

Damian hugged him back tightly.

After a moment, Dick looked over his shoulder and Damian followed his gaze to where Bruce sat stiffly on the couch.

“Father?” he asked hesitantly, letting go of Alfred. Was this the reaction he feared?

Dick turned fully to face Bruce and said, “You good, Bruce?”

“I’m just surprised,” Bruce said. He frowned and looked pained as he asked, “Are you sure you’re gay?”

Damian winced and Dick, scandalized, cried, “Bruce!” 

“Yes, Father,” Damian said sharply. “I am certain.”

“Okay, but-” Bruce began, visibly distressed.

Damian pulled away from Bruce and Alfred sharply, silencing his father. “While this isn’t the reaction I hoped for, it’s better than I expected from you.” He felt venom in his words, and he saw his Father’s eyes widen.

“No, Damian,” Bruce tried again, but Damian turned away, head held high. He did not need to hear the reasons his father took issue with him.

Ignoring Dick’s hands and calls to stay, he strode out of the room, not looking back.


	7. CHAPTER SEVEN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick yells at Bruce, and Bruce and Damian talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooohhh people got mad about that last chapter. I hope y'all enjoy the finale!

Dick was surprised.

He honestly had no idea that Damian was gay. Looking back, it made sense, what with the conversation they had had the day before. But Dick still hadn’t guessed it. 

When he’d found out about Tim and Kon it had made sense, since he’d seen Tim giving the Kryptonian heart eyes for months beforehand. Though it made sense that Damian would be stoic about this like everything else.

What surprised him more was Bruce’s reaction. While he knew Tim had decided not to come out to him, Dick hadn’t pegged Bruce for the homophobic type. If anything, he’d seemed like Jason, who didn’t care either way. 

And yet here he was staying on the couch and asking if Damian was sure he was gay, as if he was hoping Damian would say ‘psych,’ and he’d have his straight son back.

While Damian did his best to hide it, the hurt was plain on his face. He stormed out, and Dick whirled on Bruce.

“What the hell, Bruce!” He demanded, marching over to his father. 

Bruce looked up at him, looking sick. “You don’t understand.”

“No, I understand just fine!” Dick insisted, furious at him. It had taken so long for Damian to trust them, and he’d trusted them with this, and now Bruce might have broken so much of that trust. “It doesn’t matter if you have a problem with gay people, you cannot let Damian see that!” He looked over at where Tim was still sitting on the floor, frozen. Bruce didn’t know it, but he was rejecting two sons right now.

“It’s not me who has a problem with it!” Bruce insisted, standing up.

“You mean the League,” Tim said, the first word he’s spoken during this ordeal. 

Dick spluttered and said, “The Justice League doesn’t have a problem with it!” What a ridiculous excuse.

“He means the League of Assassins,” Tim explained. 

Dick’s eyes widened, and he took a step back.

Bruce nodded and said, “Yes, the League of Assassins. They, including Talia, believe in killing every gay person.”

“We’re not the League!” Dick insisted, waving his arms in front of him. “Why should that matter?”

“Because it terrifies me,” Bruce admitted, in a shocking show of vulnerability. “Talia already tried to kill him once, so imagine if she found out about this. I can’t lose him.” 

The sheer terror on his face took Dick aback. This made more sense. But damn him, why was getting a genuine emotion from Bruce like pulling teeth? Because that was not the impression Damian had gotten at all. From his point of view, Bruce might as well agree with Talia.

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, and Alfred stepped in.

Righteously angry for his grandson, he said, “Master Bruce, if I may make a suggestion.” This would be an order. “That dear boy told me not two days ago that he thinks he is broken. That his mother was right to try to fix him. You are going to march right up to his room, explain yourself, and apologize.”

Bruce nodded, cowed.

Tim shot Dick a look that said, ‘ _And you wondered why I didn’t come out._ ’

———

Damian was face down on his bed when he heard a knock on his door. He pulled his head off the covers and said, “Go away, Alfred. I know that you did not leave any cleaning implements in my room.”

He heard a soft chuckle from outside the door before the person said, “Good to know he still uses that trick. It’s me, Damian.”

Damian sat up and looked at the door, debating the end results of opening it versus ignoring it. Did he really want to hear his father’s reasons for hating him? Eventually he got up and padded over to the door.

“Hello, Father,” he said as he opened it, carefully schooling his expression into indifference.

“Can I come in?” Bruce asked, surprisingly unsure of his footing.

Damian stepped out of the way, allowing Bruce to step inside. He closed the door before turning to his father and saying, “I do not care if you disapprove of my orientation. But I will not stop being Robin, even if you kick me out. I’ll simply move to Bludhaven and become Nightwing’s partner.”

“God, Damian,” Bruce said, looking wounded. Could the man dish out but not take? “I would never kick you out. I hope you know that.”

Damian crossed his arms, leaning back against the door. He was still skeptical. “That is a relief.”

“And I don’t disapprove,” Bruce continued. He looked constipated, as this was the most emotion Damian had seen him express in years. His father was not good at this. “I love you, and if you’re gay that doesn’t matter to me.”

“Then why did you-“

Bruce cut him off and said, “I was scared, Damian. I still am. Of what could happen if your mother found out. The thought of anything happening to you terrifies me.”

Damian looked him over critically. While this could be the result of Dick and Alfred lecturing him on appropriate fatherly behavior, Damian deemed it genuine. He stared at his father coldly for another moment before saying, “It concerns me too. I was nine when I saw two League members executed for homosexuality. That sticks with a person.”

Apparently Damian was cursed today, because again he was wrapped in a hug. His father held him tightly to his chest, and after only a few moments of standing stock still, Damian hugged him back. It was nice.

Soon Bruce pulled back and looked Damian in the eye. They were almost the same height these days. “You’re my son, and nothing will change that. Especially not something as inconsequential as this. Understood?”

Damian nodded and smiled. He was out to his family, and they accepted him. There would still be bridges to cross, but for now, none of that mattered. 

“Understood." He smiled and said, “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? Bruce is a good dad Doing His Best™.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who commented. Everyone's feedback has meant so much to me. And to everyone who felt a kinship with Damian in this, I love you. Life is hard and acceptance isn't guaranteed, but we'll all find people who love us for who we are.


End file.
